298 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
hatched well. The hens then selected their 
own mates, and the results are better. 
Will it pay the average farmer to confine 
his poultry in yards? I say no; but build the 
poultry houses here and there about the farm, 
and give perfect liberty to the flock, and in 
one of these isolated houses pen 25 of the best 
with two tine males from which to breed the 
yearly stock, or pen two such lots of birds so 
as to properly mate the following year. The 
houses built here and there about the farm 
for Hocks of fifty birds each, with no males, 
Will l>e a source of income few will concede 
WHY POULTRY KEEPING IS APPAR¬ 
ENTLY' NOT PROFITABLE. 
Profits large in proportion to amount in¬ 
vested; causes of mismanagement; labor 
well repaid; keeping account; mistakes. 
But few fail to realize a profit from poultry, 
though often it is supposed that a loss occurs. 
In fact, it is almost impossible to iucur loss 
under good management, and it requires but 
very little management to give a profit. If 
one should invest $10 in a flock, including food 
and other expenses, and realize $11, or only $1 
more than the outlay, it would give a profit 
of ten per cent. Yet, but few would be satis¬ 
fied to expend $10 for food aud receive but 
$11 from the hens, although in some branches 
of business the proportionate profit from in¬ 
vestments is smaller. 
Familiar as some are with barn yard fowls, 
yet they know nothing of the merits of the 
different breeds. A “chicken is a chicken,” 
and the very fact that they are of so many 
colors, shapes and sizes, assists ; u this delusion. 
There are at present two classes of poultry 
raisers, the one giving no care at all. and the 
other pampering the flocks to an unnatural 
condition. Mismanagement arises in the one 
ease from not regarding the poultry as being 
of sufficient importance to receive care, while 
in the other it is due to overfeeding and de¬ 
privation of exercise. 
Yet we must include lalior as an element iu 
the cost of keeping poultry, and the excess de¬ 
rived over and above the expense is not all 
really profit; but it is safe to claim that all 
labor rightly bestowed will be amply repaid if 
the flock is a large one. Small flocks are 
proportionately more profitable than large 
ones, because they utilize much of the waste of 
the house; but by a correct knowledge of 
the proper conditions for keeping poultry 
there is no reason any number should not 
be kept. I lerctofore the drawbacks have been 
the desire to keep too many together in order 
to economize room, which entails competition 
and inequality in allowance of food to each 
individual Then ttere is the failure to sup¬ 
ply meat, plenty of water and warm quarters, 
to say nothiug of neglect in cleaning the 
houses anti yards. Wheu the hens are as care¬ 
fully attended to ns the cows and pigs, both as 
regards regularity of feeding and labor.of 
cleaning the houses, they will give better re¬ 
sults. 
bo do not keep accounts 
well at all seasons. As market fowls their 
yellow legs and skin, as well as their bodies, 
render them very attractive, and wheu cross¬ 
ed upon other breeds they always effect an im¬ 
provement. 
The Cochins differ very little from the 
Brahmas, so far as hardiness and general mar¬ 
ket purposes are concerned; but they are more 
compact in body, and have single combs, yel¬ 
low legs and skin, are feathered probably even 
more heavily ou the shauks and toes than the 
Brahmas, aud can be easily kept in confine¬ 
ment. The different varieties of Cochins are 
alike in nearly all respects but color, the 1’art- 
ridge being exceedingly beautiful. The Coch¬ 
ins are the best sitters and mothers of all 
breeds, though their large size is often a dis¬ 
advantage to them where the eggs used for 
hatching are thin-shelled. 
The Langsban is the latest addition to the 
Asiatic breeds, and is the only oue that has not 
been changed by the breeders of Europe aud 
America, as it is tho same in form and char¬ 
acteristics as when first brought from China. 
The fowls greatly resemble the Black Cochins, 
but an observer may notice that the Langshau, 
though nearly as large as the Cochin, can fiy 
over a high fence, while the Cochin cannot 
leave the ground. The Laugshau lias white, 
thin skin, pinkish webs between the toes, legs 
the color of those of the turkey, long sickle 
feathers, aud it lays when from six to seven 
months old. It is not an attractive market 
fowl, its dark legs aud white skin being objec¬ 
tionable; nevertheless, it excels asa table fowl, 
aud as layers the Langshans are said to be in¬ 
termediate between the. sitters aud the non¬ 
sitters. 
The American breeds are the Plymouth 
Rocks, Dominiques, Javas aud Wyandottes. 
They are all clean-legged, with yellow shanks 
and skin. Their popularity is due to their 
hardiness, medium size, and adaptation to 
nearly ail climates. They coin bine partially 
the heavy feathering of the Asiatics, with the 
long duration of the laying season of the non- 
sitters. They are not only easily kept in con¬ 
finement, but also make excellent foragers 
when running at large. They also lay eggs 
darker in color than some breeds, which, 
added to their early maturity, considering 
their size, is one of their desirable qualifica¬ 
tions. The Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes 
are struggling in rivalry for popularity; the 
Dominiques have the objection of small size, 
while the black or mottled color of the Java is 
not preferred by many, as they are in other 
respects very similar,to the Plymouth Rocks, 
some classifying them as Black or Mottled 
Plymouth Rocks, though they are really dis¬ 
tinct. 
Of the non-sitters the Houdans (a French 
breed) are the largest, and they are 
n mt their dark legs are 
*t, while their crests 
oup in damp weather, 
ufe of the old-established 
avorite; but breeding 
has taken awuy then- 
red them in vitality. 
best layers, aud are 
mrgs arc considered by 
excellent merit in the 
rose cumu. nu u oU-sitters lay white legs. 
CLEANING THE POULTRY HOUSE. Fig. 195. (See page 302.) 
A large number w 
would bo surprised at tho value of the eggs 
and carcasses comsurned in the family com¬ 
pared with the expense; yet, because a large 
proportion of food has been purchased, tho 
hens are regarded as unprofitable. A strict 
account of all receipts aud expenses would 
show a gain of 100 per cent, in many cases. 
The profit from poultry does not depend upon 
the gross amount, but upon that, produced 
over and above the outlay, aud such profit 
niay bo but a suuill sum, yet be a large per¬ 
centage ou the amount invested. The markets 
The Asiatics, if not fed too heavily, can be 
kept under shelter with contentment; but 
other breeds are liable to vices of feather pull¬ 
ing if confined too closely. The Asiatics may 
be used for crossing upon the common breeds; 
but. the crossings should be continued till the 
stock is three-fourths Asiatics, and the last 
cross should lx* Brahma, in order to secure the 
small pea-comb as a protection against severe 
cold. 
In the East, or where the Winters are not 
as severe as in the Northwest, the American or 
Spanish breeds may be used, while the Asia¬ 
tics would uot be out of place. On wet soils 
avoid feathered legs, aud where there is much 
rain in Spring, crested breeds often suffer. 
There are but few breeds that cannot l>e 
adapted to the Eastern aud Middle State's, a 
warm, dry poultry house compensating for 
many disadvantages. 
The best breeds for the Southern States are 
the Leghorns for eggs, aud the Plymouth 
Rocks and Wyandottes for market, as the 
winters are mild, and these breeds, being ac¬ 
tive, have a longer season for foraging. Put, 
where one is not partial to the keeping of breeds 
in their purity, many advantages nmy lie 
secured by crossing, provided pure-bred males 
only are used for that, purpose. It may be 
safely said that any of the breeds may be kept, 
in any section of the country, if properly man¬ 
aged, there being greater distinction between 
those kept under confinement or roaming at 
large than in climate, though it is best to avoid 
as many objections iu each breed as possible. 
SEVERAL POULTRY TOPICS. 
frequently, and their eggs will keep much 
longer, when they are allowed no male escort. 
For breeding purposes, how many hens 
should l>e associated with a male? If the male 
is to be penned with the hens, I should say, 
for Cochins, seven to twelve hens; for Laug- 
shaus and Brahmas, eight to even fifteen; for 
Plymouth Rooks, 15; for Wyandottes, 15; for 
Ilamburgs and Leghorns, 20. But care 
should tie taken to put enough so that copula¬ 
tion should result from au invitation from the 
hen. Such service is four times as effective as 
in the case of coercion by too vigorous a cock 
LANGSHANS. 
Equaled only by the Dorking; best food; 
method of feeding. 
Which is the best, breed of poultry is a hard 
question to answer to the satisfaction of all. 
But from my owu experience of many years 
iu the breeding of pure-bred poultry, it is my 
candid opinion that for all pur posies the Laug- 
shan is the last fowl we have m this country. 
“Why?” They are large; the pullets mature 
aud lay as eurly as the Leghorns; they will 
lay as many eggs iu a year as the liest laying 
in a pen of a few hons. I have had eggs 
hatch poorly from a pen of seven females and 
one male; aud the eggs nearly all hatched as 
soon as the number of hens was increased to 
15. There are in all flocks with a single male, 
more or less hens which will not mate with 
him, or whose eggs will not hatch. Of late 
years I have run my pens in this way: 1 put 
two males with 25 females, and the eggs 
W ill hens do as welt without mules? Eggs 
will keep longer. Experiment. How many 
hens to a male for breeding purposes? 
Will it pay to confine poultry ? 
1 am of the opinion that liens will lay fully 
